Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Shark Tooth Hunting

Hope everyone had fun easter/passover/sunny weekend celebrations.

I wanted to let you in on a little secret beach retreat... the Shark Tooth beach! Also known as Brownie beach or Bayfront Park. Which is where I went this past weekend to replenish my shark teeth supplies. ;)

Chesapeake beach is about an hour drive from DC without traffic and the drive is beautiful on a sunny day. Passing through barns, green hills and soon fruit stands!

Once you arrive to Bayfront Park.. there's a nice wooded trail you enjoy before you get to the little beach. Here you will find young and old combing the beach and the sifting the sand with or without tools.

MY TIPS: It's best to go during low tide. I personally like to keep to the shore and check right at the edge where the water meets the sand. The water naturally starts to uncover little fossil teeth. At first it was really frustrating because you really have to train your eye to look for tiny black and gray toned triangles... And since the teeth belong to several species of sharks they're all different types of "triangles". Thus making it more challenging. All this to say, you should be very patient as you train your eyes to discover the tiny teeth. I like to think of it as an exercise in finding your zen. ;)

Other fun fossils you may find: skate and sting ray dental plates, snails, crocodile and dolphin teeth. Maryland Geological Survey is a great site to read up more on the fossils of Calvert County.